


United By Distance

by protect_rosie



Series: five plus one [4]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Mob, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Mentions of Murder, Non-Graphic Violence, Pining, alex knows swedish and nicky knows russian, and so are their ahl affiliates, each nhl team is just a crime family, theyre mobsters ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-09 06:38:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7790743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protect_rosie/pseuds/protect_rosie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They’re at a Family gathering when Nicky first realizes he’s in love with Alex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	United By Distance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eclecticverse23](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eclecticverse23/gifts).



> for eclecticverse23! thank u for giving me such a lovely prompt, i hope i was able to do it justice. enjoy!!! 
> 
> u can see the end notes for more important information

i. 

 

They’re at a Family gathering when Nicky first realizes he’s in love with Alex.

In hindsight, he’s been in love with Alex since he first joined the Family. There’s just something he sees at the gathering that makes him realize it. Maybe it’s the moving speech that Alex gives about John’s murder, how he promises John’s wife and kids that he’s going to find the person who did this to John and them, how when he has the bastard in front of him, he’s going to make him suffer as much as he made John suffer. Maybe it’s when, after the speech, he tries to console John’s family as best he can; encircling them all in a hug that lasts several moments. Maybe it’s what follows after: they make eye contact, and Alex smiles at him, the fury of a thousand suns reflected in his eyes, promising Nicky too that he will make someone pay for this. 

“ _ That was very good _ ,” Nicky says in broken Russian. “ _ I’m proud of you _ .”

“Was not easy,” Alex replies in English, patting Nicky’s shoulder. “Am new head of Family, so have to do eventually, but not mean easy. Also mean every word, though - I will kill John’s  _ ubiytsa _ .” 

“I’ll help hide the body.”

//

Nicky falls more in love with Alex later that night. 

Alex asks Nicky to dance as a slow, mellow song beings to play in the background. Alex is careful with Nicky, almost as if he’s afraid Nicky is fragile and is in danger of breaking at any minute. They sway at an even pace; left, right. Right, left. Left, right. 

Eventually, towards the end of the song, Alex gently pushes Nicky’s head so he can lay it on his shoulder. 

They pull away from each other much too soon for Nicky’s liking.

_ I love you _ begins to make its way to the tip of Nicky’s tongue, but he stops himself.  _ Can’t fall in love with your boss, what in the hell are you thinking? _

“This was nice,” Nicky says, a bit awkwardly. 

“It was,” Alex replies. “It really was.”

 

  
  
  
  
ii.  
  


Nick thinks that by dating several people in the span of a year will help him get over Alex. 

Later, Nicky realizes that dating several people in the span of a year to get over Alex is one of the most stupid things he’s ever done. Not only does he harm himself, but he harms the people he dates. It’s all a flurry of  _ I’m sorry  _ and  _ I knew it _ , and then they’re gone, taking all traces of them too.  

“Why do you do this to yourself?” Nicky asks aloud.

“ _ We all engage in harmful behavior, eventually _ ,” Alex says, appearing behind him. “ _ What is important is that we learn from these things _ .”

Nicky turns around, eyebrows raised, impressed that Alex is picking up Swedish so fast

“Wow, you learn fast.”

“Have best teacher,” Alex smiles. “Should be actual teacher.”

“You know I can’t do that, Alex; the Family takes all my time,” Nicky says. “Plus, I can’t put my students at risk.”

“Guess you right,” Alex concedes.  There’s about a minute of silence before Alex says, “We have meeting in five minutes.”

//

Two hours after their meeting is over, Family leaders are called into the League Headquarters to discuss updates to general safety rules. Of course, every Family has their own way of interpreting these rules - and Alex will probably ask to have more guns than necessary - but the meeting is mandatory unless the Family wants to be eliminated from the League. 

The meetings don’t usually take long, but this one does. Alex is back around midnight; his tie is in his pocket, his hair seems like he’s been running his fingers through it all night, and his shirt is unbuttoned all the way down to the fifth one (Alex likes to keep things professional so he never has it past the first button).

“Is everything ok?” Nicky asks, helping Alex take his coat off.

“Everything is fine,” he replies, quiet, like a whisper.  “League is pressure Families to cut members. Pennsylvania and Michigan Families want leave, could lose entire League.”

And Nicky knows, he knows that there has been talk about the Pennsylvania Families leaving the League for a long time now, and Alex always tells him to not pay attention to any of that.  _ I will tell you if talks serious, I promise  _ Alex always tells him. 

And now, well, now he’s telling him. 

“Are we...are we also leaving the League?”

Alex is hesitant. He’s quiet, avoiding Nicky’s eyes. 

“Oh my god,” Nicky says, shocked. “Did you seriously consider this? Did you...did you come to this by yourself? Have you even talked to anyone about this, but yourself?”

“Talked to Brooks, he thinks it’s good idea,” Alex replies. “It’s what would be best for this Family. Can’t let League take what we work so hard for, can’t...can’t let them take contact with Sweden.”

“They want to take contact away from Sweden? They’re one of our biggest contributors, how can they do that to us?”

“I’m not let them. Can’t let them take Sweden from most important person in this Family.”

It hits Nicky all at once - Alex looking out for him, he always has, and probably always will.  A sudden wave of light and warmth hits him.

_ I love you _ , he thinks,  _ I love you _ .

_ “You have to think about how this will affect your Family,” Nicky’s mother had said on their weekly phone call. “If you go after Alex, you have to predict how he’s going to react once you tell him how you feel.” _

“Okay.”

  
  
  
  
  


iii. 

 

For Nicky’s  twenty fifth birthday, the get on a plane to Sweden. 

“No worry, we have party when come back,” Alex says, handing Nicky a cup of tea. “Just thought could use small break, is all.”

“Things have been going tough around the League,” he replies. “And admittedly, with our Family too. I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier. I didn't mean it, I...I just lost control, and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Hope not, can’t keep taking break from Family each time Nicky get hot head. Maybe start to think something wrong with them. Wait until we’re alone next time,  _ da _ ?”

“ _ Ja _ .”

//

Nine hours and forty seven minutes later, they finally land in Gavle. Alex’s head is resting comfortably on Nicky’s shoulder (he’d passed out twenty minutes into the flight, and had only woken up during hour six for a bathroom break).

“Alex,” Nicky says, gently shaking Alex awake. “Alex, we’re here. Get up or I’m leaving you behind on the plane.”

“I’m up.”

//

Alex drops Nicky off at the hotel with clear instructions to relax, shower, and change into nice clothes because they’re going out to Nicky’s favorite restaurant. And, Nicky’s excited because he hasn’t been there since he joined the Family almost six years ago. That’s a really long time not eating there; Nicky hopes that Ebba still recognizes him. 

He’s still by himself when he gets out of the shower, which is good because Nicky likes to air dry, and it’s not like Alex has never seen him naked before - Nicky’s just never been naked in front of Alex while he was aware of these  _ feelings _ , and that’s another different setting that Nicky’s not prepared to deal with right now. Alex looking at him, no matter how, would just unleash a new set of feelings that would probably make him do something stupid like tell Alex how he really feels about him. 

Thankfully, by the time Alex is back, Nicky is all dressed and ready to go. 

Through years of avoiding major League penalties, Alex and Nicky have developed a sense of wordless communication. For example: Alex can ask how Nicky’s doing simply by raising his left eyebrow, and Nicky replies by slowly nodding once. Alex can ask if Nicky’s ready to go by tapping his right thumb to his pinkie; Nicky can reply  _ yes  _ by nodding once, and  _ no  _ by a slight shake to the left. 

Nicky nods once.

//

The restaurant is completely empty when they get there. 

Nicky turns to look at Alex, but he’s busy shaking hands with the staff. He recognizes Ebba, now with over half her hair covered in grey. She immediately recognizes him and wraps him up in the biggest hug.  _ She’s gotten stronger _ , he thinks. 

They both catch up as he and Alex are led to a back room, one that, even after coming to this restaurant, Nicky has never been to. It’s this toned-down yellow with soft brown accents; the chairs are faux wood, and the pattern on them are roses. Classic.

Nicky’s not surprised when Alex pulls the chair back because he’s been doing that the entire time they’ve been knowing each other. It’s just another of those things that Alex has done over the years to endear himself even more to Nicky - just like holding the umbrella for both of them when it’s raining, reminding Nicky to bring an extra set of earmuffs (because somehow, Nicky always ends up losing them on the plane), and even when Alex pushes Nicky to stand up for himself at League meetings. 

The more he allows himself to think about it, almost everything Alex does for him, makes Nicky’s heart swell up even more.

//

“This was a really great night,” Nicky says as they’re walking out of the restaurant, shoulders bumping together. “Thank you.”

A blush creeps up Alex’s neck. 

“Least I can do for favorite person,” he says, almost in a whisper. “Lars Nicklas Backstrom.”

And then it hits him: what if Alex feels the same way? What  _ if  _ he’s felt the same for all these years, but he’s been too blind to see it?

“Alex, I l-” Nicky begins, but he’s interrupted by Alex’s ringing cellphone.

Alex takes it out of his pocket, takes one quick glance at the bright screen, and pockets it again. 

“Yes Nicky?”

Nicky’s about to start again, but the incessant cellphone starts ringing again.

“You should probably get that,” he says, sticking his hands in his pockets. 

Alex nods.

“ _ Babe, I told you I was going to be in Sweden for the weekend _ ,” Alex says, scratching behind left ear, a nervous habit he’d picked up the first year they were in the Family together. “ _ No. No, it’s not like that, I swear. My heart belongs to you and no one else _ .”

Nicky’s heart drops. 

_ Of course it does _ , he replies to Alex silently.

  
  
  
  
  
iv.

 

Nobody is under the impression that being a Family in the League means you’re completely safe from all outside (and sometimes even, inside) harm. So it comes as no surprise - but a whole lot of pain shooting up and down his right arm and leg - when Nicky gets shot while they’re closing a deal with their Russian gun supplier. 

They’re in the back of a bar, dimly lit with soft yellow lights. Alex is doing most of the talking, as always; he and the head of the Russian supplier are talking, trying to agree on how often the shipment is going to be - Alex wants it to be every two months, the supplier can only do every three. Then, there’s a sudden crash that comes from the front of the bar. 

Several gunshots follow. Screams start becoming increasingly louder as more gunshots are heard. 

Alex immediately grabs Nicky’s wrist when the gunshots start to near. They get up in a hurry, but several men with guns come barging in. 

“ _ Get behind me, Nicklas _ ,” Alex says in Swedish. “ _ When I tell you to go, you run as hard as you can. Alert Brooks, and tell Michael to make sure all the partners and children are in the safe house - we’re in lockdown. Don’t worry about me, I’m gonna be ok. Just make sure you are too _ .”

Nicky doesn’t even have the time to reply - there’s no way in hell he’s going to leave Alex in here by himself, not in this type of danger - because the men spot them.

One of them grins wickedly and says, “There’s the golden boy of Washington. You know, I could’ve also been Underboss, but I decided this was way more fun.”

He points his gun at Nicky’s head, but Alex steps in front of him. 

“Leave him alone,” he growls. “Come any closer and I will  _ end  _ you.”

“Oh look at me, I’m so scared,” the man laughs. “Step aside or I will shoot you both. Can you see I’m just trying to have a little fun with our golden boy?”

“Go to hell.”

True to his word the man shoots Alex in the leg and torso, right under his rib. He shoots Nicky next, pain darting all over the right side of his body. Nicky’s never been shot before, he always has a bullet proof vest on when they’re out closing deals, and suddenly, the pain is too much. 

The last thing Nicky hears before he blacks out is the bar owner and his son coming in, firing bullets at anyone who isn’t part of the Family.

//

Nicky’s woken up by arguing not too far away from where he’s laying. 

“Mr. Ovechkin,” a deep voice says. “What are you doing outside of your room? You’re supposed to be resting; your wounds are still very fresh, please.”

“I’m rest when Nicklas better,” Alex replies. 

Alex bursts into the room, flashing everything and a half to Nicky.

“ _ Cover up _ ,” Nicky says. “I’m seeing everything I  _ don’t  _ want to see.”

“How are you?”

“I’ve been better. I mean, I would have been perfect if I hadn’t seen all of you, but I’m ok.”

Nicky smiles as Alex sits in the chair next to his bed. Alex grabs Nicky’s hand, the one that doesn’t have tubes in it, and squeezes it hard. He presses his face to their joined hands.

“Was very worried,” Alex confesses, words a bit muffled by their hands. “Nicky pass out right before Emmanuel and Andrei came in, thought you...thought you  _ die _ . I sit there, I  _ cry  _ with Nicky’s head in my hands. I thought  _ he gone _ .  _ I just couldn’t stand the thought that you’d left me _ .”

He says the last sentence in Russian, a true indication of how much Nicky getting shot was affecting him. Not good. 

“Alex,” Nicky says, shaking their hands to get Alex’s attention. “Alex, look at me. I’m ok. If it wasn’t for you I would have been dead for sure. You saved my life ok. I- I owe you.”

“Nicky not owe me nothing.”

“I owe you my life.”

//

They’re let out of the hospital later that day under the condition that they are to rest and not go out on any deals until their wounds are completely healed. And of course, having two doctors in the Family helps a lot. 

“I’m need to ask something, ok?” Alex asks, Nicky nods. “You have right to say no, you have right to say fuck off, you have right to say anything you want, ok? I’m always need stability, I’m always need person to keep me, how do you say, stay on ground. I’m need person by my side to support. But I’m also need to do that for person. Will you be person?”

“What about Anastasiya?” Nicky replies, still processing what Alex is asking of him.

“She not know I’m in Family, can’t risk her life like that. She’s good person but not ready for something like this. I’m not trust her; I’m trust you. I’m trust you  _ with my life _ .”

“You really trust me that much?”

“Since day one.”

“Then yes,” Nicky smiles. “I will be that person for you. I promise I will be by your side no matter what.”

“Good.”

  
  
  
  
  


v.

 

Nicky’s unsure of what to call his relationship with Alex. 

Are they boyfriends? Life partners or just really good business partners? Is their relationship still strictly Family related even though Alex had said he wanted Nicky to be the person to keep him grounded?

It doesn’t seem likely to be the first one or the second one; Nicky feels they’re too old to be calling each other  _ boyfriend _ , but too young to be calling each other  _ life partner _ . Maybe when they’re in their thirties they’ll tell people they’re each other’s  _ life partner _ . 

//

Somehow, after they’ve come back from a particularly long, and admittedly, boring League meeting, Nicky decides it’s the best time to ask Alex what he should call them. 

“What are we?” Nicky puts it simply.

“What you mean?” Alex replies. “We humans, yes?”

Nicky rolls his eyes. “ _ Obviously _ . But what are  _ we _ ? I mean, we don’t sleep in the same room, but we do everything else together. That’s gotta mean something, right? At least, I want it to mean something, because I lo-” he feels Alex’s sight on him, scrutinizing. “I like you, a lot, and I want to be able to put a name to whatever we are. You know how I am, I feel most comfortable when I can put a name to something.”

“Yes, I’m know.” Alex pulls Nicky close, his left arm wrapped around Nicky’s waist, his right hand gently pulling at the hairs on Nicky’s nape. “We each other’s  _ light of life _ , yes?” His laugh rumbles through his chest and makes Nicky want to pull away, but he can’t; Alex has got that arm wrapped around him pretty tight. 

“You’re not taking this seriously.”

“Okay, okay. We each other’s husbands, yes? Maybe not marry each other right now because really busy closing out deals, but once we close, we get married.”

Nicky’s wanted this for too long to pretend he’s never thought about it. 

“Okay.”

  
  
  
  
  


\+ i.

 

Marcus’ wife, Abigail, plans their wedding. 

The decorations are the perfect blend of Russian and Swedish flags, the yellow used to give the blues and red a little more  _ pop _ . Yellow and red roses adorn the aisle and the sides of the chairs, which are wooden and have been painted white. Fifty plus  _ mob-related guests  _ would probably look out of place to the untrained eye, but here, it just looks  _ normal _ , they all belong here. Over the years, they’ve all earned their seats at the ceremony, and it’s something no one can ever take away from them (except, if, some horrible betrayal happens). 

Nicky’s brother is waiting to officiate the ceremony at the end of the aisle, a grin almost as big as their own gracing his face. 

Nicky feels like he’s going to explode with how happy he feels when he and Alex walk down the aisle. Everyone’s taking pictures, and Nicky even thinks he hears Andre sniffle alongside Mike and Tom. It’s just so much happiness - for them - that’s radiating from everyone around. 

Nicky’s pretty sure he looks like a wreck by the time they make it all the way down. 

“Family,” Kristoffer says, smirking at his slight play on words. “Friends. We are all gathered here today to witness the joining of these two people, Nicklas and Alexander. On behalf of them, I say thank you for joining us here today to witness this. My brother here is the most impatient person I have ever known, so he’s asked me to shorten the ceremony.”

Everyone laughs. 

“First the vows.”

“I guess since Kris here says I’m impatient, I’ll go first,” Nicky says dryly. “When you asked me to marry you, you said that we should simply refer to each other as the  _ light of my life _ . Even if you hadn’t asked me to marry you, I would have accepted, because I feel so strongly about you that I will do anything you ask of me. I will follow you to the ends of the earth and back, if that’s what you asked. I will be by your side for as long as you want me there. I- this is the happiest day of my life and I will never forget it. Thank you.”

“Is ok, Nicky, you can say  _ I love you _ ,” Alex says, smiling wider than before. “Don’t have to be so tough always. I’m never ask anything you don’t want to do. I’m want you to be happy by my side, and I’m spend every day making sure you most happy.  _ Ya lyublyu tebya _ .”

“With the power vested in me by Washington, D.C,” Kris begins. “I know pronounce you married; you may kiss each other.”

“I love you,” Alex repeats.

“I love you.”

//

Later, when they’re at the reception, Alex dances with Nicky’s niece. She’s only five so she has to stand on Alex’s shoes. They’re expensive shoes, but Alex doesn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he seems to be having the time of his life dancing with her; smile showing off the toothless gap. He turns a bit, taking everyone in, and it sure seems like they’re having a great time as well. 

They’re at the reception, when Nicky knows for a fact that he’s in love with Alex. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> so this turned out to be more of a “five times nicky realized he was in love w and tried to tell alex and one time alex did” although towards the end it kinda turned into “i love you” almost slipping out of nicky rather than “times he tried to tell alex he loved him” im sorry but i hope u still enjoyed this also i hope u dont mind that i threw in a bit of the mob au in there (im really a fan of the au and i just got this idea and rolled w it) and with that, slight warning for **non-graphic depictions of gun related violence**
> 
> there are like three words that arent in english, and theyre pretty easy to figure out the meaning but just in case:  
>  _ubiytsa _\- killer, murderer, assassin__  
>  _da_ \- yes  
>  _ja_ \- yes  
>  _Ya lyublyu tebya_ \- i love you
> 
>  thank you so much to my friend [jasper](http://marcandresflurries.tumblr.com/) for being my beta :)
> 
> i probably would have procrastinated so much more if it wasnt for this wonderful website [(x)](https://pacemaker.press/) that helped me keep track of my progress
> 
> the meme im refering to in the first line of the +i is here: [(x)](http://thornescratch.tumblr.com/post/143666457443/whoever-was-running-the-csn-capitals-twitter) lmao
> 
> title from motionless in white’s _570_
> 
> feel free to reach me over @ richxe on tumblr!


End file.
